Cancer can’t steal the love we have for others

Thomas Finn

Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009 | 1 a.m.

August 7 marks the first anniversary of the passing of one of the Boulder City Police Department's most revered employees, dispatcher Sandy Anderson. In 2007 Sandy was diagnosed with breast cancer, a disease that strikes over 200,000 American women every year. Although breast cancer death rates are declining due to improved detection methods and treatments, it is an insidious disease that continues to affect one in eight women in their lifetime.

Sandy Anderson was a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend and a cherished and highly respected colleague to the men and women of the Boulder City police and fire departments. Her calm and steady dispatching style exuded confidence, experience and an unflappable demeanor. Sandy often interjected humor into a difficult job when it was appropriate. Conversely, when a situation called for serious and decisive communications, Sandy was the consummate professional. She is still missed every day and her memory lives on in the minds and hearts of all who knew her and worked with her.

The disease that claimed the young life of Sandy Anderson hit too close to home for me recently. Ellen Schofield, one of my six sisters, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001. As a single mother of 5-year old daughter, Ellen faced breast cancer with courage, optimism and a deep and abiding faith. During the past eight years she experienced all that the disease had to offer; a mastectomy, countless rounds of chemotherapy and more invasive tests than I can possibly recall. One thing that never faltered was Ellen's spirit and unyielding belief that she would persevere. Her courage was inspiring and her strength was unlike anything I have ever witnessed in a human being. She told me more times than I can remember that she would never give up because her beautiful daughter Lisa was a gift to her and, "Lisa needs her Mom." In so many ways Ellen was my hero and my inspiration.

Ellen and Lisa spent two weeks with me at my home in Boulder City during the summers of 2007 and 2008. Our vacation together always bracketed the July 4th holiday because they so very much enjoyed the special way Boulder City celebrates our nation's birthday. When they were here in 2007, I brought Ellen to the police station to meet Sandy Anderson. They spoke privately about their common bond and they shared personal experiences and expressed a mutual commitment to beat the disease. They compared stories of treatments that can only be appreciated by kindred souls who are fighting for their very survival. Ellen's resolve bolstered Sandy's will to fight and gave her the boost she needed to continue in her quest for life. Sandy was taken from us one year ago Aug. 7, and my beloved sister Ellen was taken from me, my family and her beautiful 13-year old daughter Lisa just three short weeks ago. My mother, my brother, my other five sisters and I were with her when she lost the battle of her life.

Having faced the deaths of friends and loved ones in my own life more times than I wish to recall, I know for certain that we never lose the people we love, even to death. They continue to influence every act, every thought and every decision we make. Their love leaves an indelible imprint on our memories. We find comfort in knowing that our lives have been enriched by having shared their love, and they live in our souls for eternity.

We will all face death one day, as human beings it is the inevitable end of our mortal lives. But it is only when we truly accept the fact that we have a limited time on Earth — and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up, that we will then begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had. At these moments we can either hold on to negativity, or we can choose to heal and keep on loving. Those who learned to understand and reconcile their mortality, rather than to fear and fight it, become our teachers about life.

The memories of Sandy and Ellen will forever shine upon those of us who were graced by their presence. Their legacy will be the love, the compassion, the strength and the grace with which they lived their lives. I feel blessed to have known and worked with Sandy, and to have been Ellen's older brother. My life is eternally enriched by having had the opportunity to know them.

Rest in peace Sandy Anderson and Ellen Schofield and thank you for all you did to make this world a better place to live. You will forever be missed.

Thomas Finn is the Boulder City Chief of Police.